A MAN who left his partner with horrific injuries in a brutal and relentless assault after a wedding celebration is starting a nine-year prison sentence.

Neither Anthony Robinson nor his victim have any memory of the bloody attack in her Hartlepool home, part of which was witnessed by her traumatised daughters.

A sergeant who was the first on the scene said: "I have 16 years of front-line policing experience, and these are by far the worst injuries I have encountered on a living person's head and face.

”I honestly believed while dealing with her injuries they were life-threatening. I was seriously concerned for her welfare."

The mother-of-three suffered two broken wrists, a fractured shoulder, severed tongue, broken nose, multiple bruises, spent ten days in hospital, and needs further surgery.

Teesside Crown Court heard how a pathologist and a scenes of crime expert believe the woman had been kicked or stamped on while she was on the hall floor.

It is thought she could have tumbled down the stairs as an argument started upstairs, and Robinson might have straddled her while delivering repeated blows.

When she was found barely breathing by police there was blood everywhere, and her eyes were closed while her face had swelling and bruising all over.

Robinson had drunk double vodkas and Tia Marias at the wedding reception, while also on medication for a knee problem, and in his words "started losing my mind".

His victim spent November 18 catering for the family friend's celebration, dressing the room, visiting a hairdresser and getting ready for the wedding.

She told in a statement how Robinson and their daughter left the evening reception early, and when she got home the brewery worker had smashed up things.

"The next thing I remember was waking up in hospital, lying in a bed. I realised where I was but not how I got there or why," she said. "Every part of me ached.

"Initially, I was scared as to why I was in hospital because I could not remember what happened, and the last thing I remember was walking through my front door."

Robinson, of Sunniside, on the Headland, Hartlepool, admitted a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. He was also given an indefinite restraining order to stay away from his former partner and children.

Richard Herrmann, mitigating, described the attack as "horrific" but provided a bundle of references and said he was usually a well-liked and hard-working man.

He told Judge Sarah Mallett that Robison got a job working in the kitchen while on remand in Durham Prison, and helped save an inmate who was self-harming with a razor blade.

"Hopefully, it illustrates more the nature of this man than this awful incident," added Mr Herrmann.

"There is no doubt this was a horrific incident and that very, very serious injuries were occasioned. There is no doubt it was a sustained, vicious attack upon someone extremely vulnerable in her own home by someone she should have expected would be protecting and caring for her."